


Reborn From Ashes

by MysteriousMew



Series: The Chronicles Of The Old Republic [2]
Category: Star Wars Legends: The Old Republic
Genre: Adventure, Drama, Eventual Smut, F/M, Humour, OC heavy, Romance, all that good shit
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-05-01
Updated: 2018-10-03
Packaged: 2018-10-26 10:00:04
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 19,091
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10784568
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MysteriousMew/pseuds/MysteriousMew
Summary: 'Birth is violent, and out of that violence is our only chance of rebirth. An awareness of our past is essential to the establishment of our personality and identity. You don't have to be a man to fight for freedom. All you have to do is be an intelligent human being.'Her identity came with chains. They molded her into the perfect Operative--a deadly assassin, manipulator, expert marksmen and a seductress. She wanted to break the chains and find the past stolen from her. What better way than to play their game?And win it.





	1. Prologue: Sancutary

 

**What Alyssa/Alissa looks like ^^^^^^**

* * *

 

 

** Reborn From Ashes **

** Prologue: **

** Sanctuary **

**_S.S. Hyperion…_ **

“ _—Better than Vegas,”_ he declared, grinning widely. “ _Honestly Em, you’ll like Coruscant better than New York or London. More conspiracies to work with.”_

She raised a brow, smoothing down her dark chocolate brown curls. “Better be. I sold my apartment back home to join the Republic. And I loved the view I got from my kitchen window,” she told him, leaning on her knees in front on the holo-terminal.

“ _I promise. View from my apartment is better. Less ocean and more flying cars—which they have by the way. I just realized how much of Republic life I’m going to have to catch you up on. They don’t even play poker here.”_

 _“_ How scandalous.”

His eyes narrowed. “ _You joke now, but when Balker tries to get you to play sabbac, you’ll be begging for poker or blackjack,”_ he warned her, crossing his arms over his chest.

“And teaching them our style of gambling never occurred to you?”

“ _Oh, he did. Just never caught on with the rest of us,”_ a figure appeared in the holo call, slapping a hand on her brother’s shoulder. He winked at her. “ _Dragion you’ve been holding out on me. You never told me your sister was as beautiful as a radiant star.”_

“ _Off limits, Balker,”_ Gerald growled, removing his hand from his shoulder. “ _Weren’t you working on something with Shan?”_

_“Yeah—before he kicked me out. Guy didn’t appreciate my inputs.”_

_“Nobody does.”_

_“That just hurts, Dragion. Here I thought we were friends.”_

Alarms on the Hyperion blazing cut off their banter. Her eyes glanced up at the flashing red lights, alarm screeching of something gone wrong. She stood up, poking her head out from her room. A nearby male Jedi was jogging down the corridor. By the worry in his brown eyes, she figured it wasn’t a fire drill or something.

“What’s going on?” she asked, frowning a little. She could hear Gerald calling for her but ignored him—she needed information first.

“An Imperial warship has intercepted us—” both grasped onto the walls as the ship shook slightly. “Dammit! They’ve probably boarded us. You a soldier or SIS?”

“I’ve been assigned to SIS. Alissa Dragion,” the brunette introduced herself, recalling the information given by Senator Delora. Two months ago, she had been living in London, working for the British branch of Special Interracial Intelligence—SII for short. Then, out of nowhere, she was contacted by the senator representing Midgard in the Galactic Senate that she was being drafted into the Strategic Information Service. Apparently, the Senate was demanding more soldiers or spies for the Republic and she came highly recommended.

Must be Gerald’s influence.

Her older twin was already part of the Republic—signed up for it the first chance he got. His meta-human abilities and background made him the perfect first Midgardian spy to serve in the Republic. Which was great, at first, until that became the bar set and expectation from her home world to provide.

“The memory manipulator, right?” he asked and she nodded. “Great—we’re gonna need you to find out how the hell they knew about this ship. Got a blaster?”

“As soon as I got on board. I’ll join you in a second,” she told him, heading back over to the holo-terminal. Gerald and Balker were clearly worried about what was going on. “An Imperial warship intercepted the Hyperion and now we’ve got borders.”

“ _How the hell did they know about the Hyperion?”_ Gerald growled, fingers dancing across something—she guessed a terminal.

“ _It’s common knowledge here that it’s the ship that brings more of you guys in,”_ Balker pointed it out, leaning against the chair.

“ _Yeah but that’s only half of it. Another ship directly from Earth meets up with the Hyperion and transfers the passengers over. And the location of the transfer always changes from Tatooine to even Alderaan,”_ her brother explained through gritted teeth, brows furrowing deeper. “ _Dammit! I can’t raise the senator.”_

 _“_ I’ll scan through the memories and find out who tipped them off. I’ll see you soon,” Alissa said, ending the call and following the Jedi. They barely took one step before an explosion knocked them off their feet.

Smacking into the wall and landing roughly onto her side knocked the wind out of her. A loud ringing in her ears, she slowly rose onto her knees, gripping the wall for balance.

Eyes fluttering, she saw the Jedi engage a few Imperial soldiers.

“—Don’t attack the woman! We need her alive and unharmed!” Alissa heard someone call out and it clicked. They targeted the Hyperion specifically for her. Destroying the ship and killing its crew, all because she was on board. They wanted her abilities.

 _They won’t get them,_ she thought, staring hard at the Sith who thrust her lightsaber through the Jedi’s chest. Her chances of escape were slim but she couldn’t let that stop her from doing it. It was survival or death.

And she wasn’t ready to die.

So, she erased.

**oOo**

**_Coruscant…_ **

Gerald quietly observed the senator growing increasingly irritated by the minute. Fists clenching on his lap, forehead gaining more and more wrinkles by the second. While the senator of Coruscant was making her argument about the efforts to rebuild Coruscant and additional funding needed, she couldn’t help but remark about Midgard’s lack of contribution.

 _You bitch,_ he thought, glaring at her. Yasmin held an arm out, silently warning him against the obvious thought. But he could see in the captain’s eyes—she wanted to do something violent against the smug senator as well.

“—Would the senators of Midgard or Naistea like to rebuttal?” the supreme chancellor inquired, glancing between senators Delora and Robin. Celene glanced over at Dorian, raising a brow.

Rising to his feet, Dorian pressed the large, blue button on the console and moved their seat in the middle.

“The same old dance never ceases to amuse me. If you want to resume it, then by all means, allow me to repeat the steps,” Dorian spoke calmly, age-old wisdom seeping through his voice. “We have allowed you access to Naistea, yet you demand more. We give you resources, yet you demand more. We allow the Jedi Order to recruit our people to defend the Republic, yet you demand more. We give you individuals who are skilled enough to strike back at the Empire—individuals worth more than a hundred men, _yet you demand more_.”

He pressed a button and a holographic form of the _S.S. Hyperion_ appeared large enough for the entire senate to see.

“This is the _S.S. Hyperion_ —a ship that carries those selected to serve the Republic. Its location is a closely guarded secret to ensure the Empire or pirates do not attack,” Dorian informed them, pressing another button. The ship was exploded, startling some of the politicians. “It had been on its way to deliver more soldiers for the Republic. People you keep demanding to uproot their entire lives and defend a body they know little about. And they never made it.”

“The _Hyperion_ had been intercepted and attacked by an Imperial warship,” Celene added, moving her seat next to theirs. “Someone leaked the location of the ship.”

“And what does this have to do with Midgard’s contribution?” the supreme chancellor inquired, leaning forward.

Dorian glanced over at Celene, who gave a slight nod. Turning back, his eyes scanned around, locking eyes with a few politicians. “It means, as of this moment, Midgard will no longer supply men to both the Republic and the Jedi Order,” he declared loudly, igniting chaos around them.

“That’s not fair!”

“That goes against the treaty!”

“You can’t do this!”

“The treaty states that if there are any hostile actions taken against both Midgard and Naistea, then it is within our rights to withdraw support until the matter had been solved!” Celene shouted over the many voices, her voice booming them into silence. “We will conduct our own investigations into the matter and if the Republic wants to resume trade with our system, the traitors will be dealt with in the appropriate matter. If failed to do so, then both planets will secede from the Republic.”

“Permanently,” Dorian stated firmly, locking eyes with the supreme chancellor.

* * *

**Song: Sanctuary by Utada Hikaru**

**So remember the agent Alyssa in Rogue? Well, I've been wanting to write a story mainly based on her so people like Demetri, Althena and all that will show up eventually but until then, this is what you're going to get.**

**If you want more information on what I've come up with for Midgard, I made a codex entry under this series name.**

 


	2. Chapter One: They're Calling Women

** Chapter One: **

** They’re Calling Women **

**_Six Months Later…_ **

**_The Dusk…_ **

_His body laid broken, twisted into something horrific. He was no longer her husband. No longer was he the man she had loved and vowed to spend the rest of her life with._

_The crackle of a lightsaber came from behind her._

_“Pathetic,” the Sith sneered and she refused to look at him. “Will you tell me what I need to know or will you die like your husband?”_

_She said nothing. Felt nothing but a burning hatred for the Sith. She would not give him what he wanted. That would be her last, petty victory before she died._

_“A stupid choice to make,” he noted and she stared at her husband’s lifeless body. A burning, sharp pain erupted as the Sith impaled her with his lightsaber._

“Hey Cipher?” Kaliyo spoke up, startling her out of the vision. “You’ve got a message on the holo.”

“Thank you, Kaliyo,” Cipher responded, rising from the floor. She counted backwards from ten, an exercise Intelligence taught her in order to shake of the ghostly feelings of the memory. A memory she had found on a rebel back on Dromund Kaas. This was her edge against all other Cipher agents that Intelligence currently employed.

She was the only successful case of mimicking meta-human genealogy according to Watcher Two. For years, Imperial Intelligence strove to create their own agents with Midgard’s meta-human abilities. Her gift? Memory manipulation.

A trump card for an operative.

She stood in front of the holoterminal, pressing the flashing red button. “Download and begin playback,” she issued the command and Keeper’s holographic form appeared.

“ _Cipher Nine. Intelligence is finalizing your target list, but in the meantime, there’s a formality we need to address. With Darth Jadus’s demise, his seat on the Dark Council has opened. It will be filled by his daughter and sole apprentice: Darth Zhorrid.”_

“Jadus has a daughter?” Kaliyo questioned, as surprised by this information as the blonde was.

“ _Lord Zhorrid demands to meet with you. Proceed to Korriban at once, she has authorized your presence in the Sith Academy,”_ Keeper’s message continued, unaware of the exchange.

“What’s the chance that she blames me for her father’s assassination?” Cipher wondered, glancing at Kaliyo who smirked at her.

“I’ll give you two to one,” she answered. “You know how to make friends in high places.”

“Something that’s becoming a problem,” the agent replied, ending the message. Kaliyo left her, muttering something about checking the alcohol stockpile and leaving Cipher to fly them to Korriban.

Shaking her head, the blonde headed to the bridge and punched in the co-ordinates. Answering the orders, the ship’s auto-pilot steered them away from Dromund Kaas and into hyperspace.

Seeing that taken care of, the agent headed back to her room to ensure she looked presentable enough. As much as she hated the Sith, she enjoyed being alive. And in the likely chance she was killed, at least she’d look good.

Opening the wardrobe, she changed from her black tights and grey singlet to a black full body suit with dark blue highlights. Grabbing her belt, she attached it and ensured all of her equipment was there. Smoke bombs, cholto packs, rope, darts infused with poison and sleeping draughts. Her stealth field generator was functioning perfectly, along with her blaster.

Grabbing her long, straight hair, she arched her back slightly as she tied it back into a ponytail before turning it into a bun. Finished, she inspected her appearance in the mirror and deemed herself presentable.

“ _We have arrived at Korriban, mistress,”_ Zee-Vee informed her over the ship’s comms.

“Thank you, Zee-Vee,” she replied, departing from her room. Kaliyo waited by the ship’s entrance, a bottle which no doubt contained liquor in it, rested in her hand. “Planning to give that to Darth Zhorrid?”

Kaliyo snorted. “No way. This is my toast to you as this will be the last time I see you,” she declared, holding up the bottle. Cipher shook her head, a small smile on her face as she departed the ship.

The _Dusk_ was only authorized to dock in one area—making the agent assume that Darth Zhorrid wanted this meeting kept private. Perhaps she suspected other Sith Lords behind the death of her father and did not want anyone to know she had an Imperial Intelligence agent on the trail.

Maybe she was overthinking things.

“Look who finally made it all the way to Korriban—we have a visitor!” a woman with dark hair and sickly pale skin announced gleefully as Cipher entered the room. She stood, hands behind her back in the proper posture.

“Yes, my lord,” the male sith agreed, bowing to her slightly. The blonde assumed this was Darth Zhorrid.

“ _Commander_ —I want to be informal with my bodyguards.”

She could see him visibly swallow. “Ah—yes, Lady Zhorrid,” he corrected himself.

Zhorrid beamed. “Delightful,” she praised and then turned her attention onto Cipher. “You—my pretty little agent. Don’t you find my bodyguards delightful?”

Cipher spared the three guards a glance before returning them to Zhorrid. “I’m afraid I don’t share the same view of them as you do. Not exactly my type,” she informed the Dark Council member. Zhorrid’s lips twisted.

“How difficult it must be to live your life with such little taste,” she stated distastefully. “Delightful bodyguard? I have a request.”

 _Don’t,_ Cipher thought, hand inching closer to her blaster. The sinking feeling, she was getting? It was her instincts telling her that this wasn’t going to end well.

“Kill our visitor,” Zhorrid ordered and the bodyguard bowed.

“As you wish. She is as good as dea—augh!” he cried out, collapsing onto the floor, dead. A bit of smoke aired out of the small hole in his head where the bullet entered and killed him.

The other two Sith unsheathed their lightsabers but she threw two viroblades at their hands. The blades sunk into their flesh, forcing them to drop their weapons as they cried out in pain and cradled their injured hands. Taking the opportunity, she shot them both cleaning through the head, just like the first one. 

Zhorrid applauded the show. “Oh wonderful! My poor bodyguards,” she giggled, smiling brightly at their dead bodies.

“If we’re done with this charade, tell me what you want,” Cipher demanded, no longer afraid of the Dark Council member. After the shit she just pulled? This agent was pissed off that this woman was wasting her time. And a little creeped out at the pure joy of death she displayed.

“Straight to the point? No wonder my father liked you,” Zhorrid rose to her feet and approached her. “We haven’t been introduced. I’m Darth Zhorrid, Lord of the Dark Council and successor to Darth Jadus. I hear you’re investigating my father’s assassination. I wanted to see if you’re worthy.”

Cipher narrowed her eyes. “I didn’t want to kill those men,” she stated calmly, barely hiding her disdain for the woman.

“But you did and it pleased me. We’ll send the commander’s children a bottle of liqueur with our condolences,” Zhorrid said dismissively. “I sensed your feelings during the fight. I think you’ll do nicely tracking down the terrorists. But are you really sure this Eagle killed the mighty Darth Jadus?”

She raised a brow. “A curious question. Why do you ask?”

“Because I thought you might know more than your superiors,” the Sith responded impatiently. “Jadus…Jadus believed in spreading fear and anger to every planet and species in the Empire. Perhaps his ambitions drew too much attention; any one of his rivals on the Dark Council might have killed him.”

“An interesting angle. I will look into it,” Cipher promised, bowing her head slightly. “Now, if you’ll excuse me.”

Zhorrid blinked. “Oh yes, dismissed,” she waved her off, allowing the blonde to finally leave her presence. The agent made it no secret to hide her relief—she wanted the Sith to know that she hated being in her presence.

**oOo**

**_The Dusk, Alderaan…_ **

Her holocummincator beeped on her wrist, alerting her to an incoming call. Excusing herself from Vector, she moved away and answered it. Zee-Vee’s body appeared.

“ _Apologises mistress, but you have a call from Watcher Two,”_ the droid informed her.

“Patch her through,” she ordered as the droid disappeared. A moment later, Watcher Two replaced it. “Tell me you have something about our mysterious benefactor.”

“ _Unfortunately, not. I have just received word that the Emperor’s Wrath requires your assistance with an important matter,”_ Watcher Two told her and Cipher’s brows furrowed. “ _The Wrath is a highly skilled Sith Lord who is the enforcer of the Emperor. If you thought the Dark Council was bad, this Sith makes them look like children.”_

“Do I have some kind of magnet that attracts Sith Lords?” Cipher questioned sarcastically, shaking her head. “What does he want?”

“ _He wouldn’t tell Keeper, only that it is urgent. You’re authorized to pause your current objective in order to assist him. Meet him at House Thul_ ,” Watcher Two ordered before hanging up. Sighing, the blonde informed Vector that she had another matter to attend to.

His brows furrowed. “Will you return?” he asked and she nodded.

“I don’t leave things unfinished,” she promised, turning on her heel and stalking out of the cave. She took a simple speeder from a nearby camp and headed off towards the palace. The blonde kept to herself mostly, drawing as little attention to herself as possible.

After asking nearby servants for the location of the Sith, she found a large, cloaked figure standing beside Lady Elana Thul. The two seemed to be in a deep discussion as she approached.

Elana noticed her first. “Is this the agent you sent for?” the noble woman questioned as the cloaked figure turned around. The first thing Cipher noticed, were the golden eyes with a slight violet hue in them. They were a stunning pair of eyes—much different from other Sith.

He stared at her, eyes slowly trailing her body. Finally, he grunted, crossing his arms over his chest. “You’ll do for an agent. I trust you’ll make yourself useful to me.”

Cipher narrowed her blue eyes. “I don’t do this half-assed, I can assure you of that,” she snapped and his suddenly stared at her with interest. She returned his gaze, unwilling herself to back down.

His lips twitched. “An agent with a backbone. A refreshing change. You may address me as Demetri,” he informed her as she put a hand on her hip. “And what is your code name?”

“Cipher Nine.”

* * *

**Songs: I Hear Them Calling by Greta Salome. I Am Woman by Jordin Sparks.**

 


	3. Chapter Two: Ghost's Edge

** Chapter Two: **

** Ghost’s Edge **

**_Two Years Later…_ **

**_Coruscant…_ **

He stared out at the collection of photos. They were of different women, some with dark hair, some with light hair, some tall and some small. Some had freckles and others had beauty marks. But the one thing they all had in common; they were human.

Gerald figured that since the Empire took his sister, they’d want to keep her human…or as human looking as possible. Some of the photos had large, angry red ‘X’ over them, highlighting the ones Gerald deemed were not Alissa.

He glanced at a picture in a silver frame on his desk. It was a picture of the two of them together. Gerald had his arm slung around her shoulder, both siblings smiling brightly with the Eiffel Tower behind them. The brunet recalled that vacation fondly; it was the last one he took before shipping off to the Republic.

Sensing her approach, Gerald threw his hands into his pockets and turned around, waiting. A moment later, the doors slid open and a familiar raven haired woman marched in.

“Yasmin,” Gerald nodded at her. “What can I do for you?”

“Information on Senator Bevera Dodonna,” the dark-skinned fae answered, glancing up from her datapad. Her brown eyes saw the board behind him and softened. “My lead was a bust?”

“Yeah,” he grunted, rubbing his chin, feeling the stubble. He’d need to shave again soon. He sensed her mixed feelings and sighed. “She’s alive.”

“I don’t doubt it…but what if she doesn’t want to be found?” Yasmin suggested, showing him the latest report about the Ghost of the Empire. A top Imperial agent that no one recalls seeing. But a few things were certain; it was a woman and wherever she went, death followed.

Gerald stared at it. “Alissa would let me know somehow that she was still alive. She wouldn’t just disappear without saying goodbye at least,” he murmured, gaze turning back to the board. “I swore I wouldn’t give up until I found her.”

Yasmin opened her mouth but the sound of the door opening made her words die on her lips. Both Midgardians turned around and found Theron marching towards them.

“I may have a lead on your sister,” he stated, giving the senior agent his datapad. On it, were messages claiming to be from a Cipher agent who wanted to turn coats. More details showed that Ardun Kothe, another SIS agent, was handling the operation.

Hope bloomed in his chest as he handed Theron back the datapad. “I owe you one,” he promised, jogging past.

“Add it to my tab!” Theron called after him as the doors shut firmly behind him.

**oOo**

**_Nar Shaddaa…_ **

When she was first given this assignment, there were a few concerns she held. Going deep undercover as an Imperial turncoat sounded great in theory but when the factory blew up in front of her…

Cipher squeezed her eyes shut. _This is for the mission. Remember the mission._

Vector on the other hand, couldn’t keep his opinion to himself. “Agent, I am reluctant about this assignment,” he stated, and she turned to him.

“Do you want to go back to the ship? I can get Kaliyo,” Cipher offered, not wanting to make the diplomat uncomfortable. Vector proved to be an asset on the _Dusk_. His knowledge of politicians and other diplomats helped her greatly when the need arose. After all, there is only so much of her training that could prepare her for diplomatic approaches. Working with Vector showed her that not all problems could be solved through assassinations.

He shook his head. “No. I do not think that is wise. Besides, I am curious to see how different Republic agents are,” he answered back. Nodding, the blonde led the way to the co-ordinates that Hunter had sent her. It was a small shop, but she knew there was more to it than that. A front for SIS operations here in Nar Shaddaa.

Cipher dismounted her speeder, taking in the surrounding area as discreetly as possible. It was a habit she had developed during her hunt for the terrorists. One that she highly doubt would leave her anytime soon.

Upon entering the hideout, the first thing she noticed Ardun Kothe’s lack of presence. Second, was the sparring match between a female Twi’lek and a male human. Didn’t take a genius to figure out who’d have their ass kicked.

“Our lovely Imperial heroine,” Hunter commented, glancing up from his game as she approached them. His eyes racked down her body and she held back a shiver. He smirked and sat up. “You just destroyed your own government’s billion-credit initiative. How does treason make you feel?”

Pretty shit actually.

She swallowed. “I’m doing what’s necessary,” she answered, maintaining eye-contact. He seemed amused by her answer.

“Never mind him. Her likes to give the new agents a hard time,” a feminine voice spoke. Cipher glanced over, seeing the sparring session had ended and the other two agents joined them.

“Let me introduce you to your new team,” he gestured to the Twi’lek. “This is code name Saber.”

She gave her a nod. “Four years sniper training. We should swap stories.”

“Code name Chance, who you talked to earlier.”

Chance gave a friendly wave, smiling at her. “Slicing and mission control. Joining us was the right decision, sir.”

“And code name Wheel. Our technical specialist.”

The droid bowed slightly in greeting. Cipher quickly studied each agent, mentally assessing their threat levels. A battle droid—fourth degree one to be specific. From memory, she recalled they were security and military droids, so Wheel could hold its own in a fight.

Saber was an obvious sniper and from her brief observation of the sparring match, had some degree of hand-to-hand combat. Chance on the other hand seemed like he preferred to avoid getting physical.

“It’s a nice change to work with individuals such as yourselves. Like not expecting a knife in the back,” Cipher said, crossing her arms over her chest.

Chance’s eyes widened slightly. “That happens in Imperial Intelligence?”

“Happened to a guy two weeks ago. The Watchers covered it up. Claimed it had been an accident when the console overloaded,” she responded in disgust. A lie of course, but this added more to her story. She needed to ensure they believed that she had turned over to their side.

Saber’s face mirrored hers. “Scum. No wonder you came over.”

“We can all stand to reflect on that,” a new voice called, getting everyone’s attention. She knew he was Ardun Kothe and stood straighter just as the others did. Ardun ambled over and locked eyes with her. “Ardun Kothe, head of division. See me in my office when you’re done. The rest of you—finish up and get to work. There’s a war going on.”

Without another word, he headed off towards his office—the room furthest from the entrance. Hunter followed him easily and she watched the brunet disappear into the room.

“And like a ghost, he disappears,” Chance commented, shrugging his shoulders. He glanced over at her. “You should probably do what he says.”

“Of course,” she agreed, giving him a small smile. He returned the gestured and she headed off to the office with Vector in tow. Knocking on the door first, she entered.

“Come in,” Ardun said and turned to Hunter. “Can we have some privacy?”

Hunter approached her companion. “Vector, am I right? Let’s take a tour,” he suggested.

“Your aura spikes like a signal between stars,” she heard Vector say before the door closed, cutting off the rest of their conversation. She waited a moment before turning back to the man in charge.

“Four months ago, I started getting messages from a source in the Empire. Claims to be a Cipher agent,” Ardun said, putting his hands behind his back and moving out from behind his desk. “Now a factory’s in ruins and here we are. I’m starting to think you might be real.”

“I’m not that much of a ghost,” she commented, making a joke out of the nickname give to her. She had once overheard a few Imperial soldiers talk about this mysterious Ghost of the Empire. One who left death wherever they went. When they brought up places she had been to recently, she figured out they were talking about her. Her brows furrowed. “If the Empire knew…”

“They won’t. We’ll take care of that,” he reassured her, pulling out a data-pad and scrolled through. “Your personnel file says you were ‘traumatized’ when you learn Darth Jadus’s dirty secret. A Dark Council member running a terrorist organisation. Murdering civilians. That what made you want to flip?”

 _That’s all they’ve given me? It’s not enough. I need more to convince them,_ she thought and shook her head. “Partly. I never chose to be a part of the Empire. I was born on Balmora when it was invaded by the Empire. They took my brother and I as test subjects for experiments.”

He seemed interested. “What kind of experiments?” he questioned, drawing closer. To sell this even more, she hugged herself and looked away. She bit her bottom lip and took a deep breath.

“They wanted to replicate meta-human genes—give agents abilities like those from Midgard,” she explained, mixing some truth to her lie. “From my understanding, they thought that injecting us with meta-human blood and putting us under a great deal of stress would trigger it.”

“They tortured you,” he stated, and she nodded. “You managed to survive.”

“I was one of the lucky ones. A lot of other prisoners died either immediately or over time,” she informed him, swallowing. “They would categorise us into two groups; mental and physical. My brother’s abilities manifested into something physical, so he was taken somewhere in the military.”

Ardun rubbed his chin. “While you were deployed into Intelligence.”

“I thought by staying there I could catch _some_ lead as to where they took him but nothing,” she glanced at him, full of hope. “I was hoping the SIS might have a better chance.”

“We’ll look into it. But what are your abilities?”

She had to think of something quick. Something that would be similar to her actual abilities. Her true powers were her trump card if something went wrong on this assignment.

“Pain manipulation and illusion creation,” she answered as he walked back over to his desk. Pressing a button created a holographic form of Saber.

“Saber. Tell the deck another card is in play. Code name ‘Legate’,” he instructed, and she saluted.

“ _Acknowledged. Tell her congratulations_ ,” Saber said before ending the call. Ardun turned back to her and his eyes wavered for a moment before hardening. Cipher’s stomach tensed—she didn’t like what was going to happen to her.

“I’m prepping operations on the planet Taris, couple of other places. Join up with your forces there, I’ll give you your first job,” he informed her, putting his hands behind her back. “One more thing before you go—and I’m sorry to say this—keyword: onomatophobia. Thresh protocol, phase one.”

Pain erupted into her head and she gasped, clutching it. It felt as if something was in the back of her mind, crawling its way to the front. Little bugs scurrying along her brain. Her stomach turned and her skin tingled. She felt herself kneel before Ardun—but she didn’t want to!

It was like an out of body experience.

She could still see and hear but her mouth and body moved on its own.

“ **Thresh protocol engaged. Shutting down** ,” she said in a monotone voice and mentally, she recoiled in horror. She tried to move, to do something of her own choice but something was blocking her. Cipher was essentially trapped in her own body.

**oOo**

**_Nar Shaddaa…_ **

He marched into the backroom and found only Ardun and one of his agents, Saber from what he remembered in his office. The ex-Jedi gave a nod in acknowledgement while the young Twi’lek woman saluted.

“Gerald. What brings you here from Coruscant?” Ardun questioned but the look in his eyes told a different story. That, and all SIS agents knew that any lead about the missing Midgardians were to be reported directly to him.

“Heard you recently recruited a Cipher agent,” Gerald said, crossing his arms over his chest. He didn’t even try to sense Ardun’s emotions—most Jedi guard them well. Kothe was no exception.

Ardun shook his head. “It wasn’t your sister,” the ex-Jedi told him but Gerald narrowed his eyes.

“The Empire would’ve changed her face to keep her hidden. We both know that.”

“It wasn’t her,” he repeated firmly, staring up at the brunet. His eyes softened, and he sighed. “You’re desperate, I get it. But maybe you should face the fact—she’s dead.”

Gerald glared at him, slamming his hands on the desk. “Alissa is _not_ dead. I know she’s alive,” he snarled. He hated sounding like a broken record to non-Midgardians. They just didn’t understand the bond amongst their people. The spiritual bond between mother and child. Between father and child. Between twins…

He would know the second she was dead, just as she would. It didn’t matter how far apart they were. Alissa was the other half of him. It would be like losing an arm or any other part of your body.

In the corner of his eye he saw the barrel of a gun pointed at him and snorted. Moving, he stood and pressed it against his chest, startling the agent.

“Go ahead and try. We both know how this will end,” he dared and watched her hesitate, finger trembling at the trigger.

“Enough,” Ardun stood up, hands on his desk. Saber lowered her weapon but kept her gaze firmly on the brunet. “The Cipher agent was a Twi’lek man. An ex-slave from Balmora. Read the personnel file if you wish.”

“I will,” Gerald said and shot him one last look. “If I find out that you’re lying to me, you’ll wish you stayed with the Jedi.”

Ardun said nothing and the brunet left, satisfied that he had the last word.

* * *

**Songs: Ghost by Jamie-Lee Kriewitz. The Edge by Tonight Alive.**

 


	4. Chapter Three: Call Of Black

** Chapter Three: **

** Call Of Black **

**_The Dusk, Hyperspace…_ **

_ Legate: _

_ I’m writing you from a medcenter on Coruscant. They’ve got me on a lot of painkillers, so sorry if I don’t make a lot of sense. _

_ I can’t imagine how you feel, working with the SIS. It took a lot of courage for you to come over, and now it must seem like we abused your trust. Ardun’s not a bad man, but he thought he needed to play it safe and keep you under control. _

_  Well, maybe he’s right and maybe he isn’t. Not really my place to argue while I’m on duty, but I’m sure not on duty anymore. _

_ You saved my life, and it dawns on me that you didn’t have to. You’ve got a good heart. The Republic is where you were meant to be.  _

_ Thanks for everything. Buy you a drink when I’m out of rehab? _

She threw the damn data-pad.

It slammed against the wall, breaking it into four large pieces. Anger boiled within her—anger that should be directed at Ardun Kothe and the Empire. She was beyond pissed that Intelligence put mind control on her. But having the SIS in possession of it as well just infuriated her. She had a fucking leash and both her supposed allies, and her enemies knew it.

The worst part was she couldn’t even tell anyone. Ardun was smart enough to keep it hidden, she had to give him that. But it just made it easier for him to abuse it any time he wanted. Chance using it annoyed her. She underestimated him.

 _He acts like it isn’t a form of slavery,_ she thought, heading to her computer. Since she just broke her data-pad, sending him an email this way would have to do. And she would make sure he knew how he felt. After all, he wasn’t on duty anymore.

_ Chance: _

_ You’re right. You can’t imagine how it must feel so I’ll give you an example. It’s simple and easy to paint in one word. _

_ Slavery. _

_ That is what this is. My free will has been taken. I am trapped in my own body and cannot stop whatever command you give me. What if you order me to murder civilians? Kill innocent lives? I would do it because you ordered me to against my will and **that** will be on my conscious for the rest of my life. _

_ I had hoped the Republic was better than the Empire. I guess not. _

_ So please, think before using the word. Think about what you and Ardun are doing. You claim to be playing safe but it looks like to me you’re no better than the back-stabbers back in Intelligence. _

_ And I had expected better. _

She sent it and wondered how he’d react to her email. There were so many other things she had wanted to say—such as how much she’s looking forward to paying them all back for this—but that wouldn’t work. If she wanted Ardun to stop using it, then having someone as soft-hearted as Chance to speak up for her might help. He’s easy to manipulate after all.

There was at least another hour until they arrived at Dromund Kaas. Enough time for her to dwell more on what Watcher X informed her. He said that when they brainwashed her, they made her forget it even happened. That was something that should not be possible. She was a memory manipulator. Her powers allowed her to implant, read, create, replicate…

 _And erase,_ she realised, sitting back on her chair. They must have ordered her to erase her memory of the procedure and implant new ones so she wouldn’t be suspicious. _But I can restore them._

She glanced at her bed. She only had an hour to try and do this before they arrived at Intelligence. Rising from her chair, she sat on her bed cross-legged and closed her eyes.

Beginning a calming exercise of breathing, she slowly entered a state of meditation. Taking one last deep breath, she plunged her soul into her mind. Colours flashed before her eyes before weaving themselves into a long hallway. Half of the hallway held dark, foreboding colours of grey, black, red and silver. The other half, further away from where she stood, held brighter colours of gold, white, lilac purple and sky blue.

 _Why is it like this? It should only be one colour_ , she thought, glancing at a few doors. They held symbols etched in silver. Symbols she did not recognise nor understand. However, she noticed an increase of symbols on each door. The one closest to her had only one while there were more further down. Some had wooden planks pinned to them. Only three dark doors and the rest of the white ones.

She knew right away that they were the memories she was looking for. Jogging over, Cipher ran her fingers over the smooth, wooden plank. It felt so real that she had to remind herself that this was all in her mind. That this was all an illusion construct.

She ripped and clawed at the planks, taking a great deal of effort to rip them off the door. With the obstruction gone, she opened it and was plunged into the memory. It felt as if she had been thrown into water, diving head first without a care.

The surrounding area shimmered a bit before stabilising.

She was in the medical wing, Cipher recognised. Observing her surroundings, she saw the old Keeper, Darth Marr, Darth Nox and a few scientists standing in front of a kolto tank.

Taking a few steps closer, she saw a young woman with chocolate brown hair floating. Her body glowed with more symbols—like the ones on the doors. They seemed to pulse along a heartbeat, shining in and out.

“ **—Shut herself down. We’re unable to do anything with her** ,” one of the scientists—a woman—said in frustration. “ **Any blood we draw turns into water immediately. Her body rejects any attempts we make to grab DNA.** ”

Darth Nox, a woman of snow white skin and black as night hair, smirked. “ **Delora is far cleverer than I give him credit. He’s created a way for it to be impossible for anyone to obtain their DNA. You said she was unconscious upon capture?** ”

“ **Yes, my lord,** ” Keeper answered, hands behind his back. “ **When we retrieved the subject, she was out cold when the extraction team found her.** ”

“ **She has erased her memory to deny us our goal** ,” Nox summarised, staring at the woman in interest. Cipher studied her for a moment, sensing a connection to her. But whatever it was…

Her eyes glanced at the monitor beside the kolto tank. It displayed information such as her heart rate, breathing and other medical matters.

“ **Subject Dragon will undergo the procedure soon,** ” Keeper informed the two members of the Dark Council. “ **All necessary preparations to create the next Cipher will begin.”**

 **“We cannot allow the Republic to catch wind of this,** ” Darth Marr agreed, crossing his arms over his chest. “ **Our greatest advantage over them is in our grasp.”**

The woman’s eyes opened, and Cipher was thrown out of the memory.

**oOo**

**_Imperial Intelligence, Dromund Kaas…_ **

“Vector, watch the door,” Cipher ordered, hands dancing across the console. Without waiting, she sliced through all records until she found the one she was looking for.

The holocomm flickered to life and the old Keeper appeared. “ _Security directive 101-3A. I hereby approve the application of Castellan restraints to designate Cipher Nine. Despite her effectiveness, certain Lords of the Sith have expressed concerns over her confrontation with Darth Jadus. Although the outcome was ultimately positive, no Cipher agent—no matter their race—should ever threaten a Dark Council member. This safeguard will allow anyone with the keyword to shut down and reprogram Cipher Nine’s mind. She will be no danger to the Sith or the Empire.”_

 _No matter their race. Why mention that specifically? Would this have something to do with Subject Dragon?_ She wondered, checking the database for any mention to Castellan restraints. Finding one record, the blonde displayed the recording.

“ _In most subjects, implementation takes between three and thirty days as the IX serum circulates and rewires the brain. One the serum is fully absorbed; the subject is primed. We apply a keyword, basic commands and wipe his memory. No way to reverse the treatment has been developed. Theoretically, one could repeat the cycle and apply a new keyword…however, physical side-effects of repeated IX serum could prove inhibiting. I strongly advise against this.”_

 _Now I need to know where they get this blasted serum. Redo the whole process. Damn the side-effects; I am **not** living as someone’s slave, _ she thought bitterly, slicing through all records mentioning IX serum. She found the chemical schematics and even a recorded message.

“ _We will be unable to formulate new doses of IX serum until our supply of dimalium-6 is replenished. Recommend additional forces to Republic-occupied world of Quesh immediately, as the planet’s chemical mines remain our only source.”_

 ** _Now you know,_** Watcher X’s voice filled her mind. **_You did your job well, so they stole your free will. With the IX serum, you can get some of it back._**

“What do you mean by ‘some’ of it?” Cipher questioned, staring at the console.

Watcher X chuckled. **_You manipulate memories, but you are just a victim of it as well. You saw that one locked memory. That woman, Subject Dragon. Grab her files and see for yourself_**.

She hesitated before her fingers danced across the console’s keypad. She found at least seven files on the subject alone and quickly downloaded them to her new data-pad. She covered her tracks, erasing any hint of her activity and implemented searches for high ranking commanders of the Republic. If Keeper said she was on the front lines, then that was the story she was sticking to.

“ _This is Watcher Three to Cipher Nine. We’ve restored power; please proceed to the exit_ ,” the dark-skinned Watcher ordered. Vector and the blonde shared a look before doing as asked; stepping over a few destroyed droids along the way.

Watcher Three seemed visibly relieved to see them unscathed. “Cipher—I am so sorry. Must have been a power surge, probably lightning.  Are you alright?”

She nodded. “ _I’m_ fine but I can’t say the same for your security system down there. The droids got a little trigger happy,” she told him, shrugging her shoulders a little.

“I see. I’ll alert the Fixers,” he said with a small smile. “We do need to hold you until this is cleared up. Nothing personal but you were down there unmonitored, and…you know.”

She hid her irritation. “I get it—protocols and whatnot. But there is a war going on out there and my information is critical to the military. If you want, you can contact me later about it. I’m happy to answer any questions.”

“I suppose you’ve earned that much. Get going—I’ll have your ship resupplied and refuelled,” he informed her, walking off. No doubt to do something far more important.

“We hope you found what you were looking for,” Vector spoke as they left Intelligence. “That power surge was poor timing.”

“I got everything I needed,” Cipher confirmed, fingers grazing the data-pad in her pocket. Her curiosity about Subject Dragon was brimming and Watcher X’s comments alerted her that he knew more about it than she did.

And that annoyed her.

**oOo**

**_The Dusk, Imperial Space…_ **

Destroying the chemical supplier and mine was the first step in becoming a true traitor to the Empire. It felt good—she stopped anymore brainwashing attempts. Or at least, halted their progress for a little while. No way was she going to allow them to do what they’ve done to her. Kaliyo was more than happy to blow something up anyway, so there’s a win there.

 _This assignment is becoming all too real now_ , she thought, sorting through the notes on Subject Dragon. Cipher ordered no one to disturb her upon returning from Quesh with Kaliyo. She found an entry by a scientist name Doctor Gregor. It talked mostly about Midgardian physiology before mentioning Dragon.

_ The humans are split into two groups, those who possess metagenes and those who do not. As the dominate race of Midgard, they are the heralds of science and technology, dwelling mainly in cities and small colonies. Their continuous efforts towards progress allowed space travel to become a reality. The average lifespan of a human is between 100-140 years of age. A human in possession of a metagene live shorter lives, lasting around 90 years of age. Meta-humans are descendants of humans undergoing experiments to create the ultimate human, a super soldier.  _

_ Why a meta-human’s lifespan is shorter compared to a human may be due to the meta-gene. This gene allows one to possess extraordinary gifts. From what we’ve obtained in knowledge, the average meta-human possesses enhanced durability, strength, stamina, senses and knowledge of hand to hand combat and weapons. Whether this knowledge is hardwired into their brains is uncertain but remains a sound theory. _

_ Subject Dragon appears to be in mid-twenties and perfect health. File says she possesses the extra ability to manipulate memories. However, before the Empire could interrogate her for any knowledge regarding Midgard, she erased her own. Intelligence intends to change her face and create a new identity for her. They wanted an agent and they got one. _

Her eyes narrowed. New identity…her gut told her, but her mind needed to be sure. She needed every piece before the puzzle could be completed. Cipher needed to know who Subject Dragon was.

And whether the Empire stole more than just her free will.

Another file, marked as a dossier on a woman named Alissa Dragion appeared and she brought it up. The photo was a dark chocolate brown curled woman looking serious. Cipher recognised her as the same woman from the memory.

_ Name: **Alissa Emma Dragion.** _

_ Age: **27.** _

_ D.O.B: **Unknown. (Due to lack of knowledge of Midgard)** _

_ P.O.B: **Unknown. (Due to lack of knowledge of Midgard)** _

_ Abilities: **Enhanced durability, enhanced strength, enhanced stamina, enhanced senses, memory manipulation.** _

_ Notes: **She has extensive experience working for intelligent services and was recently recruited to the SIS for this reason. Her twin brother, Gerald Dragion currently works for the SIS but was deployed earlier. See Aura-Dragon file for more information.** _

**_ Using the information obtained by a member of House Thul, Alissa was captured on the S.S. Hyperion and brought to Dromund Kaas. Unfortunately, she erased all memories of her life.  _ **

She swallowed and lowered the data-pad. There had been someone else before Cipher Nine. Before the Empire took her and moulded her into someone else. A tool for them to use.

 _I guess my story to Kothe was a lot closer to home than I thought,_ she thought, biting her bottom lip. Glancing at the dossier again, the name Gerald popped up. _I have a twin brother…_

Knowing she had family out there just further fuelled her growing hatred for the Empire. How dare they not only enslave her but rip her away from her brother.

 ** _And now you know. Another reason the Empire needs to be destroyed,_** Watcher X spoke. He must be observing her thoughts or something due to the damn chip. **_But for some reason, they were unable to get any DNA from you. I’m sure the answer to that question lies within your locked memories._**

“They don’t know that I’m aware of this. I don’t have my memories back, but I have the knowledge of my former life,” she said, drumming her fingers against the data-pad.

**_Which makes you even more dangerous._ **

She smirked at that.

* * *

**Songs: Call of Silence from Attack On Titan. Paint It Black by Ciara.**

 


	5. Chapter Four: Confident One Last Time

** Chapter Four: **

** Confident One Last Time **

**_Hoth…_ **

The Chiss were a curious race in her opinion. They allied themselves with the Empire and yet, are separate. They seemed willing to work with Imperial presence on Hoth but were smart enough to leave themselves a back door. It reminded her of what she had read regarding the White Coats Treaty.

It’s first senator, a fae woman by the name of Shirayuki Enki established the treaty between the Milky Systems and the Galactic Republic. The agreement contained Midgard’s independence and the system’s location a secret for as long as they maintained Republic support. Resources such as materials and manpower were to be provided and Naistea was open to the Republic.

Somehow though, the Empire managed to get their hands on her. That was another thing she was going to find out. Whoever or whatever was responsible for her imprisonment was going to pay. Cipher was sure of that.

But the seeing the Chiss secret base with her own eyes made her wonder if there could be allies found within. Allies who weren’t favourable to the Empire. From the way she could see Aristocra Saganu eyeing her—like a man staring at a saint—there was a chance she had found one already. And he wasn’t bad looking either. There were some muscles under those robes.

 _Focus!_ She snapped at herself, tuning back into the conversation.

“—White Maw pirates control the wastelands between here and the starship graveyard. The admiral’s been sending his people out there for weeks,” Saganu continued as Ensign brought up a data pad showing a map of Hoth. Five spots were highlights, each near cave systems.

“My scouting party caught them burying some sort of supply caches. We don’t know what the admiral’s caches are for, but if you could get us reconnaissance scans, they might give us a lead on the man himself,” Ensign informed her, handing her the data pad.

Cipher studied the co-ordinates, nodding to herself. “What are the chances of them being weapons? Pay offs to the pirates?”

“That’s a better guess than emergency supplies. There are no Imperial outposts near that sector to make it so,” Saganu agreed, giving her a soft smile. She returned the gestured before handing back the data pad.

“I’ll contact you along the way, Ensign,” Cipher promised, turning on her heel and marching out of the base, Kaliyo in tow. Now, out of all her companions on the ship, she trusted the anarchist more. Nothing against the others…except they were die-hard Imperial loyalists.

Kaliyo didn’t seem to mind, enjoying her boss’s new approach on missions.

**oOo**

**_Two Hours Later…_ **

Just as she finished opening the last cache, her SIS issued holocom beeped with an incoming call. Groaning, she reached into her pocket and put it on top of a nearby rock of ice. She pressed it and saw Hunter’s face, pulling a displeased look before turning back to the cache.

“ _What’s with that face? And here I was, calling to make sure you weren’t getting lonely,”_ Hunter commented as she sifted through the many blasters, grenades and medkits; pocketing a few of them for herself.

“Every time you call just brings me closer to killing myself. What do you want?” she responded bluntly, not willing to put up any pleasantries with him or Ardun for that matter. The ex-Jedi seemed to have noticed that the last time he called and only offered empty apologises once more. Bastard.

“ _You’re sexy when you’re feisty,”_ he winked and made her skin crawl. “ _Ardun Kothe authorized me to take your reins. Have you found the Starbreeze yet?”_

“As much as I would love to tell you otherwise, no. Admiral Davos has gone rogue. And since I can’t find the Starbreeze without him, my priorities have shifted,” she reported, closing the cache and faced the hologram, crossing her arms over her chest.

“ _I hope your not dragging your feet. Let’s take out some insurance,”_ Hunter mused, smirking and her stomach twisted. “ _Keyword: onomatophobia. Command: Find the Starbreeze and contact me when you succeed.”_

“Orders understood. I will proceed with the mission,” she responded and felt the command slowly leave her muscles. “Are we done here?”

“ _Sure. Go and be a good little traitor,”_ he smirked, ending the call. She growled, shoving the stupid thing into her pocket.

“I swear I will end him,” she vowed, storming off to her speeder. The counter-measure better kick in soon, or else she’ll end her own life trying to escape this cursed existence. Or blow up something. Whichever comes first.

**oOo**

**_The Dusk, Quesh Orbit…_ **

Lokin was onto her.

Maybe he’s secretly watched her during one of her meditation sessions or he’s more perceptive than she gave him credit. Probably the latter. His previous employment as a Fixer would have given him similar skills that she possessed. Whatever the case, she noticed him watching her more than usual and wondered if he was going to bring it up.

The answer came as they headed to Quesh.

She was in the kitchen, fixing herself some sweet tea when the doctor walked in. She felt his eyes on her and turned around, leaning against the counter. “Something I can do for you, doctor?”

His eyes narrowed a tad bit. “Forgive me, but as your sole medical officer, I have to point out that your eating habits have been less than satisfactory lately,” he informed her and she raised a brow. “Now, I’ll take my share of the blame—I’ve been preoccupied making calls, catching up on what I’ve missed in the Intelligence community. Still, the fact that people are trying to kill me does not excuse my neglect of your health.”

 _That can’t be all there is,_ she figured, taking a sip. The warmth, sugary sweet flavour burst in her mouth as the liquid went down. “Thank you for the concern but you’ve done a fine job already.”

“Says the child to the unstrict parent,” he commented, shaking his head. “But, I digress. I do have some news regarding my search,” he continued, switching topics. Never had she been more relieved to hear him sprout on about his latest assassination attempt on his life. As long as the conversation steered clear from her, he could talk about the weather for all she cared.

However, she tuned back in when he mentioned ‘weaponized-humans.’

Cipher blinked, leaning forward a little. “Weaponized-humans? Like meta-humans?”

Lokin seemed impressed that she caught it. “Indeed. The Science Bureau’s purpose is military research; making humans stronger, faster is one approach. They hope to recreate a serum that’ll grant humans the same capabilities as meta-humans.”

“What do you know about them anyway?”

“As much as anyone can know really,” Lokin answered, putting his hands behind his back. “They’re humans with a unique mutated gene that establishes them as the perfect soldier; Midgard’s main form of military. A few are in the Republic Special Forces and the SIS. Although…”

“Although what?” Cipher pressed, wanting him to finish his sentence. At this point, whatever information she could dig up about her past and her race, she would take it. It was as Watcher X had said; with the knowledge she possessed, she had become more dangerous to Intelligence than ever.

“I heard through reliable sources that the Empire managed to capture one from their ship.”

“How’d they do that? I thought it was nearly impossible to locate it.”

“Intel I suppose. But before I forget—I’d like your permission to run some tests on Master Vector,” Doctor Lokin said, ending their earlier topic. She slumped back against the counter, staring into the cup. “I’m rather curious about a Joiner’s physiology, and Vector is keen to learn more about himself.”

Cipher gave him a loo, brow raised. “Just _curious_? No hidden agenda? Pure scientific interest?”

He chuckled at her sly accusation. “There is also the desire to help a bright young man come to terms with his new self. Believe it or not, I rather like Vector.”

Seeing no problem, she shrugged her shoulders. “If Vector doesn’t have a problem with it and it causes no problems, test away,” she said, hearing the alert of an incoming call. “Excuse me.”

“Of course. Remember to eat, agent,” Lokin called after her as she left the kitchen. Heading to the holoterminal, it read an incoming call from Keeper. She pulled a face before masking it and answering the call.

Keeper’s holographic form flickered to life. “ _Beginning encrypted message: this is Keeper to Cipher Nine. We don’t have long before Republic intercept, but I wanted to hear from you. Status report please?”_

“Still inside the SIS,” she confirmed, taking another sip of her beverage. “I’m making progress, but I can’t give details. You understand.”

“ _I’m getting disturbing reports of your activities. Loss of Imperial life on Hoth and some sort of incident at headquarters. Cipher, I **need** to know if the stress is getting to you.”_

 _I wish it were stress_ , she thought, shaking her head. “My state of mind is a secondary concern. I can’t pull out now anyway.”

“ _True but I need to understand all the same. Your objective is to learn what the SIS is after. Then—and only then—you must kill Ardun Kothe. Don’t lose sight of those goals. Keeper out.”_

Cipher stood there, gripping the cup a little tighter than she needed to. Sometimes she wondered if the new Keeper knew about her identity. Her _true_ identity. And if she did—which was more than likely—how could she still speak to her as if nothing was wrong. As if Intelligence didn’t deserve to burn for what they had done.

 ** _Patience_** , Watcher X advised. **_The serum is working. Play the game until you’re free._**

**oOo**

**_Shadow Arsenal Facility…_ **

Shutting down the shields had been easier than she had first thought. Perhaps all those hours spent practicing her slicing had begun to pay off. Or Republic security wasn’t as great as they thought. Either reason was fine with her. It just meant the objective was closer than before.

_What was my objective?_

That thought made her pause. Honestly, she hadn’t really given it much thought as to what came after. Ardun was after the Shadow Arsenal; a deadly weapon to use against the Empire. Her orders from Intelligence told her to find out what he was after and then kill him. Step one was complete. As for step two…

Ardun Kothe was destined to die in this facility.

Her desire for revenge against the ex-Jedi just happened to coincide with orders from Intelligence. Orders she was more than eager to carry out. But what came after?

The Empire couldn’t have the weapon, but neither should the Republic.

 _Destroying it may be my only option. I can just make up an excuse later,_ she figured as her holocommunicator alerted her to an incoming call. Ardun’s face appeared, flicking a little.

“ _You and Saber have done your parts. We’ll have the Shadow Arsenal on board and headed for Republic space within the hour. You’re going to hold position here—protect the controls until we’re gone,”_ he ordered and her eyes narrowed. It didn’t take a genius to see what the agent was up to.

“Don’t sugar-coat it. You don’t want me near the missiles,” Cipher sneered, lip curling in disgust.

Ardun shook his head. “ _There’s no reason to make you face this.”_

“I was fine to face this since I blew up that factory on Nar Shaddaa. Interesting that you change your tune now of all times.”

“ _Legate,”_ he paused as her stomach twisted. “ _This is goodbye for now. Go back to Imperial Intelligence, shore up your contacts. We’ll be in touch in a few months.”_

 ** _They don’t need you anymore,_** Watcher X stated, coming to the same conclusion as she did. Anger burned through her body; how dare he think that she’ll just wait around for him. Now that her usefulness is up, Ardun was discarding her like a pawn on a chessboard.

“ _Hold position. Keyword: onomatophobia,”_ Ardun whispered and her muscles tensed as the order passed through her system. “ _And thank you.”_

He hung up as Watcher X appeared in front of her. **They’re going to win. Now we’re out of time.**

“I thought you said the serum was supposed to break my programming. This doesn’t look broken!” Cipher hissed, willing her body to move but it of course ignored her. Watcher X paced in front, deep in thought.

 **The IX serum has been eating at you since you injected it. Carving neural pathways. Bleaching your brain. It isn’t finished but it’ll have to suffice,** he said, halting his pace and standing in front. **We’re going to re-write your programming. New commands, new keyword, no outside control. Are you ready?**

“Give me back control,” she answered eagerly.

**Thresh protocol, phase one. New keyword: iconoclasm.**

Her brain felt heavy, a fog blanketing her mind as a surge of heat rushed through her body, seeping through her blood. “ **Keyword accepted. Thresh protocol engaged.**

**You now have access. You can force your mind and body to obey a new program. Tell me what you want.**

An idea came to her as she locked eyes with the ex-Watcher. “Meta-humans are the perfect soldiers, right? Let’s enhanced that. Make my body go beyond normal capabilities. No more pain or exhaustion.”

 **Dangerous but interesting,** he praised, stroking his chin. **Embed limit break commands. Keyword activate from user only. Accept no outside orders.**

**“Limit break commands embedded. Accepting no further orders.”**

**Revert to phase zero,** Watcher X ordered, and her body relaxed. Cipher willed her fingers to move and was happy to see that they did. Ardun Kothe was no longer controlling her. Now _she_ was in control of _her_ body. **You’re free now. Time for me to go. But stop the SIS. Find out how they obtained Imperial brainwashing codes. Remember who you are. There are truths you need to know. Make the Empire pay for what they did to us.**

“I will,” she vowed, watching him disappeared. Closing her eyes, she inhaled deeply, enjoying the sensation of being free.

 _Now,_ she opened her eyes and headed for the door. _Time to show the consequences of enslavement._

**oOo**

**_Quesh…_ **

Kothe was going to get his ass handed to him. After lying about this ‘Cipher’ agent straight to his face…Gerald was seeing red. He had tracked the ex-Jedi’s team to an abandoned Republic weapons facility on Quesh. But by the number of droids deactivated on the ground, it was anything but abandoned.

He sensed her and knew she was taking aim at him. Rolling his eyes, he stepped out into the open and dodged the shot. Reaching out, he found her bright red and yellow aura. Exhorting control, he clenched his fist and kept her aura trapped.

“Don’t even try to move,” Gerald ordered, marching closer to the Twi’lek struggling against the invisible ropes. “Kothe never told you about me, did he?”

She narrowed her eyes. “Only that you weren’t to be underestimated,” she grunted, and he raised a brow. “What are you even doing here?”

“Kothe lied and I’m here to kick his ass. Getting the _truth_ will be a bonus,” he stated, glancing around the facility. “I’m not interested in the Shadow Arsenal.”

Saber’s eyes widened slightly as it dawned on her. “You’re after Legate.”

The brunet smiled. “Bingo. Where is she?” he demanded, authority lacing his voice. The man was done playing games. Not when his sister’s life was in the game.

“She went after Master Kothe to help him with the weapon,” she answered, and he released his grip. She gasped, feeling her body back under her control and stared at him.

He could feel…negative emotions hanging in the air. It made his stomach twist in knots. “Get out of the facility and wait by my ship. That’s an order,” he commanded, and she nodded, saluting before grabbing the droid.

Seeing that was taken care of, Gerald followed the ex-Jedi and delved further into the factory. As he got closer, he sensed _her_. It was different and yet…his soul sang as the distance between he and his twin decreased. Turning the corner, his sprint came to a halt as he watched her aim her blaster at the fallen Jedi.

“Alissa stop!” he shouted and she froze. Taking that as a sign, he drew closer until she pointed a second blaster at him. He faltered, staring at her in shock. “Alissa?”

“That…that name,” she struggled, gripping the blaster tighter. “You’re my brother. You’re Gerald Dragion,” her blue eyes looked at him, a small spark in them. “Did you know?”

“Yes,” Ardun wheezed, clutching his side as blood seeped through his fingers. They must have fought, and she brought down the ex-Jedi down. Kothe was a seasoned fighter and strong in the Force. And somehow, his sister had brought him to his knees.

 _Just how powerful has she become?_ He thought, fear creeping in.

“So not only did you enslave me but you kept me from him,” Alissa stated, lips curled in disgust. He reached out and gasped at the pure rage and anger coming from. It choked him, like swallowing a jar full of cayenne pepper and he withdrew immediately.

His mind remembered something she just said. “Wait, enslaved?” he questioned, staring at the injured agent in horror.

“Imperial Intelligence brainwashed me and this hypocritical piece of shit used the keyword. Again and again. Allowed his agents to use it without a second thought,” she spat, kicking him in the face. Ardun grunted from the impact and groaned in pain, laying on the ground. “He robbed me of my free will but didn’t think I would find a way out.”

“He doesn’t deserve to die,” Gerald told her and ignored the blaster, taking steps closer to her. She watched him with a careful eye, allowing him to get just close enough until her barrel was touching his chest. “Alissa. We’ve all made terrible mistakes in our lives. And this job means we must make difficult decisions to get the job done. And they can be unethical.”

“How are you not _furious_ with him?” she exclaimed in disbelief. “He lied to you!”

“And I will rip into him. But there are better ways of handling this,” he told her calmly, removing the gun from her hand. Tears filled her eyes as she lowered the other one. He could sense the emotional and mental damage done to her and it killed him inside. All he wanted to do was to take her somewhere safe, hide her away from the galaxy.

Her body shook, and he brought her into his arms. Warmth spreading between them, the bond re-attaching itself to their souls. It sang in joy of the reunion as Alissa cried into his chest.

“Go to your ship and head back to Coruscant. I will deal with you and your team later,” Gerald ordered the ex-Jedi firmly. Ardun said nothing but hung his head in shame as he limped out of the warehouse.

He smoothed down her blonde hair, hating the colour. The Empire would pay for changing her. They took his sister away and moulded her into a killer. A merciless killer from what the reports of Cipher Nine suggested.

“I don’t remember everything,” she confessed, stepping out of his arms and wiping her face. “Only bits and pieces. I also looked up some files.”

“How did the Empire find you? What did they do to you?” he asked, concern lacing his voice.

“Intel from someone in House Thul on Alderaan. I’m not sure who or how they knew but they gave Intelligence the information. They captured me from the _Hyperion_ and tried to extract my DNA, but they couldn’t. They were having problems for some reason,” she explained, and he nodded.

“Senator Delora ensured no one could. Don’t ask me how,” he shrugged, and she swallowed. “You erased your own memories.”

“Just before I was taken,” she confirmed. “I remember waking up one day and they informed me that I was the only survivor of a dangerous experiment. Mimicking meta-human physiology. Changed my appearance and made me into Cipher Nine.”

He grasped her shoulders, squeezing them a little. “Not anymore. You’re Alissa Emma Dragion. My sister who enjoys sudoku puzzles and has a sicken sweet tooth.”

She opened her mouth to speak when a voice chuckled from nearby. Both of them turned to see Hunter, one of Kothe’s agents, watching from the holoterminal.

“ _Gerald! Found your dear little sister. How sweet_ ,” he sneered and glanced at her. “ _And no more programming for you—that is a surprise. I was finished with Ardun, but I had plans for you. We could’ve wandered the galaxy together—me as the captain, you as my servant.”_

“I would rather become a rakghoul before joining you,” Alissa growled, eyes glaring with pure hatred at Hunter.

“ _You’re sexy when you talk like that. But no time for flirting. Big changes are coming. Imperial Intelligence and the SIS…history will forget them. And it’ll forget you. I just tipped off a squadron of Imperial bombers. That facility is about to be wiped out,”_ he gleefully informed them as alarms rang throughout the facility.

“Saves me the trouble of getting rid of the Arsenal. Thanks for that,” Alissa replied, keeping Hunter talking as Gerald searched for his aura. His mind combed through the entire facility, but found nothing. The prick must’ve evacuated already.

“ _—And Gerald? It’s a shame you couldn’t be manipulated. Your talents would’ve been an asset,”_ Hunter said, shaking his head.

“Go suck a droid’s metal dick,” Gerald said, ending the call. He turned to his sister, both coming to the same conclusion. Without a word, they sprinted out of the warehouse as the ground shook.

* * *

 

 **Songs:**   **Confident by Demi Lovato. One Last Time by Ariana Grande.**

 

**Not wanting to sound like a needy bitch, but reviews are a wonderful thing for a fanfic writer. They really brighten my day and I love seeing what you think of this fic. Kudos are all well and good but that just shows me that you saw it.**

**So please, review!!**


	6. Chapter Five: Fire Formation

** Chapter Five: **

** Fire Formation **

**_Malfoy Estate, Dromund Kaas…_ **

Demetri didn’t seem pleased as he read her report. His eyes scanned the words written, brows furrowing deeper. Finally, he sighed and put it down, pinching the bridge of his nose.

“A shame the weapon couldn’t be obtained. Its power would have been greatly appreciated by our fleets,” the Sith Lord said, drumming his fingers against the desk. “But this third party is a more pressing concern.”

“It sounds like they’ve manipulated both sides. For how long…” she shrugged her shoulders. Ever since that first mission On Alderaan, Demetri struck a deal with her. Become his eyes and ears in Intelligence in exchange for any resource she needed. This little arrangement was kept secret from Intelligence of course. It was something both parties agreed to and benefitted from. But to ensure neither could betray the other, they each took some insurance.

Demetri had a younger sister who was a Jedi.

Cipher had a twin brother who was a SIS agent.

It still felt weird to her. Seeing her brother back on Quesh…it reinforced her hatred for the Empire. It pointed out to her what they took from her. But the Republic was no better in her opinion. They were the reason she was in the mess in the first place. But with this new development of a third party, both siblings agreed that she should remain with Intelligence. For now.

“I’ve taken the liberty of warning Desirae to be on alert. Anything she deems suspicious will be reported to me,” Cipher informed him, seeing an amused twinkle in his eye. “Glad you brought me on board, huh?”

“Immensely. A sound investment,” he agreed, handing her a holo-card. “I’ve established a secure channel for you. Any new developments will be shared between us.”

“I better head back to the Intelligence and see what I can dig up,” she agreed, taking the card and shoving it into her pocket. Rising to her feet, she gave the Sith Lord a nod before turning on her heel and leaving the office.

Along the way, she ran into Jaesa. The brunette seemed pleased to see the agent, sending her a smile.

“Hollians! It’s been so long. How are you?” the ex-Jedi asked warmly, and Cipher plastered on her own smile.

“Tired. I’ve just finished a four-month mission and now I’m being sent on another one,” she informed her and Jaesa looked embarrassed.

“Sorry. I shouldn’t keep you then,” she reached out and grasped her hands. “But promise me you’ll have dinner with us again. Nix adores you.”

“Sure,” the blonde replied before resuming her stride out of the estate. Taking a speeder, the blonde took her time. She wasn’t in any real hurry to get back to Intelligence, so she took the scenic route.

When she eventually stepped into the HQ, chaos was what greeted her.

Various agents, new and old, were scrambling around. Watchers calling out new data, Minders de-briefing. Fixers were constantly repairing equipment and a few Cipher agents milled around.

“Where’s the fire?” Cipher asked Watcher Two, hands in her pockets. He turned, unamused by her comment which was a first. Out of all the Watchers besides her old one, he had some humanity in him. And a sense of humour. If it was gone…

“It’s been like this since the fighting intensified. We’ve rushed training, gone to sixteen-hour shifts—”

“Sir? Operation Kingstalker needs you,” one of the new Watchers she guessed since Cipher hadn’t seen her before, stated.

“I have to go. I’m sure we’ll talk more,” Watcher Two apologised, turning back to focus on the monitors. Cipher shook her head, heading straight to Keeper’s office. Seeing no one there, she leaned against the desk and crossed her arms over her chest.

 _With the war being reignited it’s going to be a lot harder to get into contact with Gerald on the sly_. _He **did** give me his secure channel but… _ her thoughts were put on pause when the Minister of Intelligence sauntered in with a droid scanning the room.

Cipher narrowed her eyes, refusing to stand up straight. After all, he was the one who gave them the green light to brainwash her.

“It isn’t my office anymore, but Keeper is occupied and I thought we should talk,” he said, giving her a once-over. “It’s been a while, agent.”

“Heard you became the Minister of Intelligence. Hope all the responsibilities aren’t wearing you down,” she replied pleasantly, plastering a smile so fake that an Alderaanian noble would be proud.

He caught her meaning, narrowing his own eyes and rubbed his chin. “Not yet. However, my wife says the position suits me,” he commented as the droid wheeled over.

“ **Scan complete. No listening devices found,** ” the droid declared and all masks were off.

“Broadcast mode. White noise, ten minutes, then leave,” he instructed the droid before turning back to her. “We may as well be honest. I know about the stolen files. I know you discovered your brainwashing and freed yourself. I also know you’ve discovered some memories, Alissa. And yes, I was responsible for it all.”

She snorted, crossing her arms over her chest. “You don’t waste time then,” she said, lip curling. “What gave you the right to kidnap me? Change my entire look?”

“You were a weapon. One the Empire desperately needed,” he answered calmly, placing his arms behind his back. “That brother of yours is already a thorn in our side, imagine the damage you would’ve done. You removed your own memories and we needed to ensure no one—not even you—discovered the truth. And since you haven’t run to the Republic, I say you’ve chosen the correct side.”

“Then why brainwash me? Didn’t you take enough from me? Was my freedom the only thing I couldn’t keep?” she spat, fingers pressing into her arms. If she didn’t, she would be leaping over and smashing his face in. But she needed answers and getting revenge would have to wait.

“The Sith wanted you under control. You survived Darth Jadus; how long before you defied another on the Dark Council? The programming was a safeguard, and if I hadn’t approved it you’d be dead. I don’t plan to tell anyone you’re free,” he informed her and she rolled her eyes.

“How noble of you,” she said. “But how the hell did the SIS get them?”

“They shouldn’t have possessed them in the first place,” the minister told her firmly. “Ardun Kothe’s shuttle was found abandoned in space without any data on your ‘Shadow Arsenal’. And according to our records, there’s no evidence of an agent ‘Hunter’ ever existing.”

She stood up, glaring. “Then get you records updated because that shit stick existed!” she snapped, losing her cool for a moment. Reining in her anger, she crossed her arms again and her fingers tapped on them.

“I don’t doubt your story,” he reassured her, raising an eyebrow at her outburst. She wanted to smack that look off his face. “Someone—your Hunter or his employer—is manipulating this war for his own ends. Someone with access to both Republic and Imperial resources. This someone gave Ardun Kothe your keyword. We need to find out who and why.”

“Only four factions could pull those strings,” Cipher stated as he waved it off.

“No use looking at theories until we have facts,” he responded dismissively. “Fortunately, the trail is still warm. Yesterday, a man fitting Hunter’s description boarded a shuttle to the Isen Four asteroid colony. Nine hours ago, we received this message:”

The holoterminal lit up, playing back the message of Isen Four’s surrender to the Empire.

“Our forces will arrive there tomorrow. We don’t know if the colony’s surrender is related to Hunter’s arrival, but I want you after him,” he ordered and she frowned.

It was a Republic mining colony. There was little strategic value and unless she was mistaken, no hidden wealth either. So why was that shit stain heading there?

“What does he gain from going there?” Cipher questioned, shaking her head a little.

“The Watchers are collating data on the facility and known occupants. Hopefully, they’ll find out. If not, it’s up to you,” the minister said, checking the time on his watch. Nodding to himself, he turned and left without another word.

**oOo**

**_Coruscant…_ **

“ _—_ The Emperor and his proxies have made their intent clear. Their fleets are entering the Core systems. They have broken the Treaty of Coruscant. Survivors in the Mid Rim report the near-wholesale slaughter of colonies. Surrender isn’t enough—they only want death. Let there be no mistake: we are at war,” Chancellor Janarus declared grimly and the entire Senate erupted into chatter. Some were grumbles, others were more positive. He then showed a holographic form of a woman. “I’m sure you are all aware of the terrorist attack in the Outer Rim. The attack claimed the lives of a delegation of Jedi and Republic officials on Nar Shaddaa. The apprehension of the individual responsible for these continued acts of aggression is our top priority.”

“You’d think the restart on the war would be more important,” Gerald murmured quietly, watching from behind Senator Delora. It was supposed to be his day off. A time to be at home, spending it with his three-year-old toddler. Not standing around and listening to a bunch of politicians’ prattle on.

 _“_ Terrorism is a psychological warfare,” Dorian informed him in a low voice, head still facing towards the Chancellor. “Terrorists try to manipulate us and change our behaviour by creating fear, uncertainty and division.”

“—I assure you, the orchestrators of these attacks will be made accountable for them,” Janarus continued before dismissing the hologram. “Now. Senator Delora, you had an announcement?”

Their pod rose and flew towards the middle, ensuring all the Galactic Senate had its eyes on Midgard. Not the first time. Naistea’s joined them, with Senator Robin sitting patiently with Carissa and Sias; Jedi Masters.

“Thank you, Supreme Chancellor, fellow members of the Senate,” Dorian greeted formally, rising to his feet. Barely said any words and the halfling already filled the entire chamber with his presence. “Working with Jedi Masters Carissa and Sias, along with the SIS, we discovered the individuals responsible for the Empire seizing the _S.S. Hyperion._ Minister Belvam of Velusia, Senator Udania of Caamas and Minister Halaey Rist of Alderaan,” he paused as several shocked and surprised sounds erupted around the senate. “These individuals have shown their true colours and conspired with House Thul—a noble family with known ties to the Empire—to seize citizens of Midgard that were meant to serve the Republic.”

“What evidence do you have to prove these allegations?” Senator Arnus questioned and Dorian merely smiled.

“A substantial amount, unfortunately. Holocalls, money transfers, records sliced from our database and that’s just the beginning. Witnesses as well can testify right now if you would like me to present them,” Dorian offered helpfully but Supreme Chancellor Janarus shook his head. “All gathered by the SIS and Masters Carissa and Sias.”

“This is disturbing news. On behalf of the Republic, I wish to apologise to Midgard and Naistea for having lost people,” Janarus stated but Celene rose to her feet.

“An apology is not enough, I’m afraid. You wish for us to send you people and resources, only for it to be stolen with the help of members of this government,” Celene pointed out firmly, voice carrying across the chamber. “On behalf of our people, I request the Senate allow us to prosecute the criminals in our code of law.”

“They are members of the Galactic Republic!”

“This is a disgrace!”

“They have the right!”

Eventually, Janarus was able to quiet down the chamber, staring hard at Dorian’s face. Finally, he nodded. “The individuals who committed the crimes against the people of Midgard and Naistea will be judged and prosecuted _by_ Midgard and Naistea in their code of law. The Republic will not intervene or defend these criminals.”

When the session ended, Gerald escorted Dorian and Celene back to Dorian’s chambers. He waited until they were safely away from unwanted ears before bringing it up. “We have Alissa to thanks for this information.”

Dorian said nothing, choosing to sit down at his desk whilst Celene bowed her head. “It would have taken us longer to obtain the names without her,” Celene agreed, glancing towards Dorian. “Perhaps it’s wise to keep her in the Empire. Rogue doesn’t report in as much and Alissa _is_ in the heart of Imperial Intelligence.”

“I don’t like it. There are too many ways for this situation to go wrong,” Dorian muttered, tapping his finger on his desk before sighing. “But none of that matters until we’ve dealt with this secret group. What do we know about this cabal?”

“As much as Intelligence does,” Gerald answered, crossing his arms over his chest. “This secret body is manipulating both sides in the war. They have resources to infiltrate both bodies, espionage training and so far their intent is unclear.”

“And you never sensed anything from Hunter?” Celene asked as he shook his head.

“He hid his emotions well…and now that I think about it, Hunter avoided me as best as he could,” Gerald recalled.

“Aura is stronger than the Force,” Dorian informed him, sitting up straighter in his seat behind his desk. His green eyes glanced at some photo frames on his desk. “Since we are faced with so many unknowns, I want the particle barrier up on Naistea. Have the Squad dig through and if any traitors turn up, contain them. We need to be ahead of this. Midgard before the Republic.”

“I will make the call. Should we inform Major Jovud and Captain Silvie?” the female senator raised the question and Dorian agreed. The blonde turned to Gerald, aura showing her exhaustion. “Keep working with Agent Shan and Alissa.”

“Yes ma’am,” he bowed his head and left the chambers.

* * *

**Songs: 12 Formation by Beyonce. I See Fire by Ed Sheeran.**

 


	7. Chapter Six: Next To Me Is Nirvana

** Chapter Six: **

** Next To Me Is Nirvana **

**_Belsavis…_ **

Her hand grasped his neck with precision, fingers pressing into his oesophagus. He choked, eyes widened as she easily lifted him up with one hand. Air struggled to get into his lungs, hands clawing at hers to be free from this deadly grip.

Alissa simply smiled, white teeth exposed. “Is this the strangling you had in mind?” she questioned Ohta mockingly. The ex-Mandalorian grunted, face paling with each second. Deciding he had suffered enough, she threw him across the room and eyed the other three down. “Pull anything like that again and I will be more than happy to throw you back from where I _freed_ you.”

Kanjon held up his hands in surrender. “You got it, boss,” he answered as the other two nodded in agreement.

Seeing she had them sufficiently frightened, Alissa put a hand on her hip. “I broke you all out because of one thing: Megasecruity Ward 23. What’s in there can help us get off this rock.”

“Megasecruity Ward 23. Paarkos has heard the rumours,” Paarkos hummed, leaning against a beam.

“Your confidence is inspiring, pretty bird,” Kanjon eyed her, small smirk gracing his lips. “But it ain’t just breaking windows and slitting throats. We’re talking bad things there.”

“Exactly. Since the security is dangerous, it means the prize is that much more valuable,” she countered, hand resting on her hip. “Besides, it’s the danger that makes it exciting.”

His smirk grew wider. “This might work out after all.”

“What about the ward?” Ohta asked, rubbing his neck as he rose to his feet.

“Years back, my brother tried what you’re saying—founds traps, sensors, blast doors, force fields…” Kanjon’s eyes dimmed a little. “Got himself killed. Only way in is to short out what security you can and try to survive the rest. Takes prep we ain’t done and a bundle of equipment.”

 _Wonder if the security anticipated someone like me,_ she thought, raising an eyebrow as she stared him down. “If I thought for one second that this would be easy, I wouldn’t have bothered breaking you four out,” she said dryly, eyes scanning each of them for reactions.

All four agreed immediately, with Kanjon volunteering to create a list of equipment needed. As the others scattered, Chaney approached her cautiously like she was a rapid dog. Better yet, a jaguar.

“Despite Ohta’s…manners,” Chaney spoke, quickly glancing at the ex-Mandalorian before returning them to Alissa. “I wanted say thanks for busting us out. Me, at least.”

“Don’t thank me yet. You might regret stepping out of your cage,” Alissa responded, crossing her arms over her chest. Her ears picked up the sounds of blaster fire, grunts, explosions and shouted voices. Narrowing her eyes, she headed towards the entrance and crouched down. In the distance, her eyes picked up another Republic squad facing down some more escapees. Ruthless ones too, from the amount of blood the criminals were spilling.

 _That fight won’t go on forever and whichever side wins—probably the Republic—will sweep the area for more escaped prisoners. Need to get a move onto the labs,_ she assessed, turning away and returning to the others. Kanjon’s list was finished as he read out what was needed.

He turned to her once he finished. “We’ll arm ourselves before joining you. Need to make ourselves useful,” he explained, and she nodded.

“Steer clear up north. There’s a squad toughing it out with some escapees. No need to draw their attention,” Alissa informed them before marching out of the cave, eager to get this mission rolling.

**oOo**

**_Republic Special Labs, Belsavis…_ **

Her eyes moved carefully, studying each other their profiles. After the stunt Ohta tried to pull back in the caves, there was no way she was letting down her guard. One slip up and she would be more than happy to end it.

“Grab what you can. Then, we’ll move onto preparations,” she instructed, earning a wide grin from Chaney. Kanjon sent her a smirk, watching her from a nearby crate.

“Boss has a sense of fun after all,” he commented, busting the crate open with the end of his blaster.

 ** _Scorpio Sanctions activated,_** the female robotic voice announced, making everyone freeze. **_I appreciate all of you gathering in one place. Your deaths will be artfully intertwined._**

“You must have tripped an alarm. I didn’t do anything!” Chaney exclaimed by the console, fingers dancing across the board. Sparks flew and she yelped in pain, jumping back. “Blast it! Whatever this Scorpio security is, it fried the console.”

 _Perfect,_ she thought dryly, eyes spotting a camera in a corner. “Second time you’ve spoken to me and I still have yet to hear a name.”

 ** _That is correct. These laboratories were designed for experiments in alien aggression. I have full access to the research and chemicals used,_** it spoke as her nose picked up a sickly sweet and sour scent filling the air.

“What is this?” Kanjon questioned, nose screwing up in disgust.

 ** _The SLV-88 aerosol was formulated to control the minds and heighten the aggressive instincts of anyone exposed,_** the AI explained smugly as her gaze fell onto the prisoners. They were clutching their heads, teeth gritted and painful groans erupting out of them.

Her ears picked up the sound of a blaster being readied, and she ducked in time as Ohta shot at her. Switching her gun to stun, she shot the large ex-Mandalorian twice before ducking under cover.

**_Enjoy this experience for the brief time it lasts._ **

**oOo**

**_Mos Eisley Cantina, Tatooine…_ **

Sitting in the cantina, Alissa sat back and relaxed while maintaining a surveillance of the area. Manipulating the memories of multiple people at once was a stretch, but she seemed to remain calm and control. Like using an old forgotten muscle. It’s still there, jut hadn’t been used in a while.

She had left Belsavis two days ago and already reported the information SCORPIO had about the Star Cabal. Now, she had to do the same with the SIS.

 _He should be here soon,_ she thought, taking a sip of her beverage. Tatooine’s selection of crystal wine tasted like watered down piss. But she needed to keep up the façade. Her datapad pinged, alerting her to a message from Gerald.

  _Party planner has arrived. Better think of something good for your nephew’s fourth birthday._

Glancing up at the doorway, she found a tall, light skinned human male with dark brown hair entering the cantina. She noticed the way his eyes subtly scanned the area and her gut instinct told her this was her contact.

 _Far back. Small booth_ she wrote to her brother and watched as the male glanced at his wrist for a moment before locking eyes with her. She plastered a fake smile as he headed her way. As he drew closer though, that fake smile turned into one of intrigue. He was a looker for sure. Those hazel eyes held fire and steel in them.

“So, I was thinking of a Wookie themed party for my nephew. Thoughts?” she asked as he sat down across from her.

“It’ll be hard to get authentic fur for costumes, but I’ll come up with something,” he answered, holding his hand out. “Markus Thorn.”

“Sophie Raina. My brother told me you were the best at your job. Highly recommended,” Alissa said, raising a brow as she slyly passed over a data-chip. The man took it with ease, settling back into his chair and ordered a drink.

“Well, your brother forgot to mention your beauty. I bet you make all the guys and girls swoon,” he said as a droid returned with a whiskey like alcohol. Alissa couldn’t tell.

“Just not the right one I’m afraid,” Alissa replied, sending him a wink. His cheeks flushed a little before he cleared his throat. They maintained the façade for a while longer before ending their meeting.

Rising from her seat, Alissa placed a couple of credits on the table. “Have some more on me. After all, you’ll need it with how demanding this soon to be four-year-old,” she commented before striding past and out of the cantina.

**oOo**

**_Coruscant…_ **

**_Four Days Later…_ **

“— _I know that Twi’lek. The first Matriarch of the pilgrims back on Tython. Kolovish_ ,” Kiiron informed them, his holographic form flickering in the office. He was currently on his ship the _Amor Aeternus_ with his padawan Nadia standing by his side.

“And that’s Nok Drayen,” Tallis added, topaz eyes glaring at the figure. From sensing the captain’s feelings, Gerald figured he had a bad encounter with the man.

Theron’s brows rose. “As in the legendary crime boss? Isn’t he dead?” the SIS agent questioned, receiving a sideways glance from the silver-haired captain.

“He is now,” the fae responded, arms crossed over his chest. They continued to watch the recording given to them by Alissa. As a few more were recognised, Gerald received an incoming call from said sister.

“Getting an emergency call from Alissa,” the blond announced, and Dorian gave him a firm nod. “Patching her through.”

Soon her holographic form flickered to life, standing beside Kiiron’s. She seemed distressed to him but that was only because he knew her so well. To others, she remained calm. If not cold and distant.

“ _Hope none of you have genetically enhanced minds. That recording had a hidden overlay we missed and now Intelligence is in shambles_ ,” Alissa informed them bluntly, sounding more annoyed than anything.

“You don’t seem to be broken up by it,” Theron commented, and she raised a brow.

“ _It’s more of an annoyance than anything really. But it does allow me to be off the grid a bit better. There’s no one handling me. Did you manage to identify anyone else?_ ”

“A few. But what’s their connection?” Celene questioned with a slight frown from her seat. It was Yasmin who put the pieces together.

“They all non-Force wielders,” the dark skinned fae pointed out with Tallis and Jovud grunted, scratching his long beard. How the dwarf maintained its length and not get blasted by his cannon remained a mystery to the agent.

“Not to mention they seemed to be in positions of power. A matriarch, a crime lord, a minister and that’s just who we’ve seen. No telling who else is part of this secret cabal,” Theron listed off, glancing at his datapad. He sighed, shaking his head. “Knew I’d regret working with you Dragion.”

“You say that but just anticipate the excitement heading your way,” Gerald smirked, arms crossed over his chest. He turned back to his sister, eyes softening a little. “How are you holding up? No one in Intelligence suspecting you?”

Alissa shook her head. “ _They’re too busy with the war and now with more than half of the staff turned to vegetables, I’m the last thing on their minds. But the cabal is onto me and have sent half of my enemies after me. They’ve been taken care of. And my benefactor is taking care of me. I also contacted Rogue as instructed. I like her however I wouldn’t trust her loyalty. She’s Mandalorian now and the Republic’s Most Wanted._ ”

“She served her purpose a long time ago. Her debt has been paid and as long as you’ve removed the intended memories, all is well,” Dorian spoke up from behind his desk. “You look troubled, my son.”

“ _They mentioned the Children awakening. I’ve encountered a few of them myself. Children of the Emperor are individuals imbedded into both the Republic and the Empire. They are the eyes, ears and agents of the Sith Emperor’s will_ ,” Kiiron informed them, brows furrowed.

 _“_ Great. Even more sabotage,” Jovud stated sarcastically. “Can we locate them?”

 _“That’s the tricky part. Their identities are hidden from Jedi view by the leader called the First Son. There’s no way to sense them until they reveal themselves to us,_ ” Nadia shook her head sadly.

 _“_ Damn Force mumbo jumbo,” Jovud muttered as an alert was heard echoing from someone’s recording. “That you Kiiron?”

 _“Me actually. I’ve just arrived on Voss. Chasing after another lead which will hopefully bear fruit. I’ll contact you as soon as I have anything_ ,” Alissa said, glancing at her datapad.

 _“_ Be safe,” Gerald spoke as she hung up. He took a quiet breath, reminding himself repeatedly that she could take care of herself. Alissa was a big girl and was more than capable.

 _“She’ll be fine, alia media,_ ” Kiiron addressed to Gerald, sending his husband an encouraging smile. “ _She’s a tough one_.”

“I know,” the blond responded, unable to ignore the unease in his heart.

* * *

**Songs: Nirvana by Inna. Next To Me by Emeli Sande.**

**Sorry for lack of update. Life has gotten in the way and left me with no time to really sit down and get through a chapter. Look up Latin translations for Kiiron's words.**

**You know how to trick a writer into updating more??? Sending comments! Kudos are great but I would love nothing more than to actually see how much you enjoy this or what you anticipate about it. Even constructive criticisms is fine at this point! Just something. Please?**

 


	8. Chapter Seven - Mana Is Wide Awake

** Chapter Seven: **

** Mana Is Wide Awake **

**_Shrine Of Healing, Voss…_ **

_I need guidance. My past is full of holes and unopened windows. I often question who I am anymore._

Alissa thought back onto her words, realising it was the catalyst of her guard being dropped in this place. It…was strange. It felt like she was safe, secured within these ancient stone walls. That no one was there to judge or persecute her. The masks she wore could fade for a little while and allow the real her to surface.

But who was she really?

The priest left her as they entered a small room. Pillars aglow with strange golden lights lit the area up. A female Voss stood behind a large, stone cradle with intricate designs along the edges. Green mist seeped from within.

Swallowing, she pushed back the apprehension and approached her. She only took two steps forward before Amin-Le spoke.

 _“_ The fracture is deep,” Amin-Le noted, watching her carefully. At her words, Alissa halted mid-step. Amin-Le’s eyes softened and she gestured for her to come close. “To rebuild a body, a spirit, one rebuilds history.”

“Half of my history is a mystery to myself. I don’t remember who I was before I left Midgard,” the blonde confessed, hugging herself. Her heart was singing in relief. She could finally speak with confidence without worrying it got back to Intelligence. Even back to her brother. She knew Gerald would keep her behind a locked door if he could. All in the name to keep her safe. _But that’s just another cage._

“Breathe the mist and speak true,” Amin-Le instructed. Alissa gripped the stone edge and inhaled deeply. Immediately, her nostril was on fire as a wave of scents burned through. Coughing, she stepped back, waving in front of her face.

Slowly, her body felt slack, heavy and unable to keep her weight. She fell, landing hard on the marble-like stone floor. When she came to, Amin-Le’s voice soothed her.

“You are the tree. Your roots, the past. The universe is the soil,” she said as slowly, Alissa rose to her feet. With a gently wave of her hand, flames burst forth, showing a figure of herself. What she looked liked before the Imperials got their hands on her. “The tree is sick. See what nurtures the roots, and remember a homeworld of science and magic. A proud, diverse people, hidden away from the galaxy…who were you then?”

The memories slowly came back to her and she swallowed. “I…I was an agent for British intelligence. Engaged too. To Evan.”

“How did you end up here?”

Her brows furrowed as she recalled the message. The director informed her of her new job. That the ship would take her to the _S.S. Hyperion_ within a week. That was the last time she saw her parents…and of Evan.

“I was chosen to work for the SIS and was shipped off. But…the Sith Empire discovered the route and kidnapped me. I wiped my memories before they took me and that allowed them to mould me into their assassin. Into the perfect cipher agent,” Alissa answered, clenching her fists at her sides.

Amin-Le’s head bowed, a smile on her face as new images showed through the smoke. “Consider now the seasons that shaped the tree. First, a season of fire.”

Her eyes stared down at Eagle, Darth Jadus and the old Keeper.

“You stamped out a spark. You could purged the darkness; none but you could have tried,” the Voss spoke as new figures appeared. Ardun Kothe, the new Keeper and Watcher X. “Then a season of famine. You stood alone, your friends and foes carved the wood of your mind. Speak of the wound. Speak of your strength.”

“Both sides treated me like a puppet. It didn’t seem to matter who was the pulling the strings at one point. I was just a tool for them to use,” the blonde responded, holding her head up a little higher.

“Now you are in a season of mists. All things are obscured,” the Voss spoke as an image of Hunter appeared, staring at her challengingly before disappearing. “Your spirit shines, but it is trapped. You must change; what will you become?”

That was the first time anyone had asked her that. Asking her who she wanted to be. The idea seemed to foreign to her—having spent her entire life undertaking orders from someone else. Even back on Midgard.

Licking her lips, she felt a small smile on her face. “I want to choose my own fate. No more orders and no more control. _I_ decide which direction my life should go.”

“Then you are truly healed,” Amin-Le declared proudly, waving her hands over the fire once more. With each burst of flames, the void that had been left by Intelligence seemed to disappear. The mystic had been right. She was truly healed.

**oOo**

**_Nightmare Lands…_ **

Running into Althena had been…unexpected. The Mandalorian was apparently returning from capturing a Republic general by the name of General Redrish and was surprised to see the agent on the planet.

“Dem sent you to check on me?” Althena asked, removing her helmet and allowing her braid to fall down her back. Torian seemed to be surveying the area, keeping a watchful eye.

“Shocking as this may seem, I _do_ have a life outside of your brother. And a job for that matter,” she informed the bounty hunter who raised a brow. “How have you been holding up? It can’t be easy being the most wanted pay score in the galaxy.”

“Nothing I can’t handle,” the brunette shrugged her shoulders. The strength this young woman held continued to surprise her. Alissa had read the dossier on the brunette’s alias as Rogue. One thing that stuck out to her had been, ‘ _Never underestimate this one. She has the grace of a Jedi and the powerful wrath of a Sith_.’ Knowing her history, it did indeed make sense. The daughter of Sith lords who escaped and became a Jedi, only to disappear from the order and remerge as a bounty hunter. She had conquered the challenges life threw at her.

 _While you’ve jumped through hoops all your life. Never once breaking them,_ she thought as Torian turned away from the hills and gazed at the brunette.

 _“Vi ru'kir ba'slana,_ ” he said, speaking the foreign language to the bounty hunter. Althena just hummed, putting her helmet back on. Alissa’s Mando’a was a little rusty, but she understood the gist of what he said.

“ _Cuyir morut'yc_ ,” Alissa told them, hearing Althena chuckle underneath the helmet. “What? I’d be a poor cipher if I wasn’t multilingual.”

“ _Bal'ban. Oya'karir pirusti, burc'ya_ ,” she replied, departing without another word. Alissa observed them until she could no longer see them before continuing onto the co-ordinates. She had an idea of why the bounty hunter was after her. Another person she’s pissed off sometime earlier was tipped off by Hunter. After her altercation with Pashon Cortess back on Belsavis, the blonde knew it was only a matter of time before others followed. She had hoped by executing the young noble would send a message.

Trudging up the hill, her holocom alerted her to an incoming call. Seeing how she didn’t recognise it, Alyssa brought it up her wrist-watch, she transferred it to her earpiece. “Kallistan Surgery, where we can make you shine like a Kallistan gem. How can I help you?”

“ _I was wondering what your specials were?”_ a voice spoke, and it took her a moment for her to put a face to the name. Theron Shan.

“At the moment we’re running a two-for-one special on upper half body enhancements. Let me just check on the prices for you,” she instructed, inputting a few codes into her watch. Reaching down to her belt, she pressed on a small button and activated her local jammer. “You better have a good reason for contacting me.”

“ _Whoa! Attitude already? They teach that at Imp school?”_

“Among other things,” she responded, reaching the peak and bringing up the co-ordinates once more. “I’m trying to rescue my contact from a bounty hunter. What is it?”

“ _Force, I hate that. How set back are you?_ ” Theron asked, sympathising with her predicament.

“It’s a small detour. I’m tempted to just leave him, but I want to know which one of my many enemies Hunter has kindly sent,” she responded, resuming her march. She could hear the SIS agent wince quietly on the other end.

“ _I knew Imperials were ruthless—”_

“I’m _not_ an Imperial!” she snapped at him, arriving just a few clicks outside of the meeting place. Crouching low, she grabbed her binoculars and gazed through them. She counted five guards standing outside and two snipers hidden in the agriculture. All dressed in beskar armour. Mandalorians.

“ _I didn’t mean—”_

“I know what you meant,” she responded, double checking the numbers and mentally mapping out a route to take them out. “He’s an Imperial agent who’s taken the identity and life of a man named Bas-Ton. Bas-Ton’s real family don’t even realise.”

Theron was quiet for a moment before she faintly heard him mumble an ‘I see’ under his breath. “ _Right. Well I was calling to let you know we’ve identified a few more members of the cabal. Anything new on your end?_ ”

“My benefactor believes the reports of renewed fighting on Corellia has the cabal behind it. From what I understand, they want the Jedi and Sith gone to make room for non-Force wielders to rise up and take over.”

“ _And better way to do that than to let them slaughter each other on Corellia. I’ll alert the Jedi Council,”_ he said but she voiced her disagreement.

“You do that, and you tip them off that you’re onto them. It’s better for them to believe that only Intelligence is after them. Keep SIS clean and out of harm’s way,” she pointed out as she found a good vantage point. Setting up her sniper, Alyssa got onto her stomach and looked through the focus piece. “Give me a sec.”

He remained silent as she picked them off quickly, double checking to find the area clear. Rising to her feet, she began jogging while resuming her conversation with Theron. He brought up an interesting question just as she neared the compound where Bas-Ton was being held.

“ _If you manage to live through this…what’s going to happen to you_?”

She paused, thinking about it. If she managed to live through it all; taking down the Star Cabal is no easy feat. But what would happen to her? Would she go back to Intelligence? _Could_ she even go back? Knowing what she knew about herself, the answer was an easy no. But sometimes, you’d have to swallow your pride and morals in order to survive.

 ** _You must change. What will you become_**?

“I’ll become free,” she answered quietly.

**oOo**

**_Imperial Intelligence HQ, Dromund Kaas…_ **

Seeing the obvious display of power over them, Alyssa’s lips curled in disgust. Besides Demetri, the blonde was not fond of Force-users; whether they’d be Jedi or Sith. How the Sith lorded over them all with their extreme methods of power. The Jedi preached about the light side and yet did not hesitate to use darker methods to achieve what they wanted. Not to mention, spoke to one as if they were a toddler.

“Let Watcher Three go,” Alyssa demanded, stepping forward and grabbing the Sith’s attention. He was a Kaleesh—perfect for the murderous Sith order.

He merely glanced over his shoulder. “The Cipher agent. You defeated that traitor Jadus and the fools in the SIS. My masters acknowledge your service and power,” he spoke in admiration, releasing his Force-grip on the Watcher. He fell to the ground, gasping for air as the Kaleesh turned to face her. “But you serve Intelligence no longer. By order of the Dark Council, Operations Division is dissolved. Personnel will be reassigned to wartime units or deserving Sith Lords.”

 _At least that solves one problem for later. But the timing is too perfect. Shit stick got involved,_ she realised with a bitter thought. Next time she saw that smug looking face of his, Alyssa was going to cram a knife through his throat. “Ah, yes. Give our enemies the upper hand by dissolving our intelligence. Well thought out plan.”

He narrowed his eyes. “You are valuable, yet your life is still worth less than a drop of Sith blood,” he reminded her as she raised her chin. “The war does not go well, whatever the official word. The Ministry of War must have resources, and Intelligence fails to do its part. We hear rumours of corruption and treason. Agents wasted chasing conspiracies, a brain-dead Keeper…time to butcher the beast for its meat.”

Alyssa shook her head and smirked a little. “You fail to see that you’re being manipulated—and it’s going to come back and bite you in the ass,” she warned him as he growled.

“I will teach you respect,” he spat, hand reaching out but was interrupted by a holocall informing them that the ‘alien’ had been apprehended. Hearing footsteps behind her, Alyssa turned to find an annoyed Kaliyo.

“I was on my break. What gives?” she questioned, giving her a look. Alyssa gave a slight subtly shake of her head and that was all she needed to know.

“Intelligence may overlook her past, but she is an anarchist and an enemy of the Empire,” the Sith Lord stated. “She will be interrogated and judged.”

“I will kill you,” Kaliyo swore, glaring murderously at the Force-user. “You get that? I will kill you!”

Dammit.

“We’ve put far worse on the payroll and they’re failures compared to the service given by Kaliyo. It’d be a mistake not to use her talents in the war,” Alyssa argued, facing the looming Kaleesh.

“The decision was not mine. Unless you intend to slaughter the entire Citadel, do not test me,” he warned, staring down at her. If he thought to intimidate her, he was hilariously wrong.

She stared back up, glaring at him. “This will be your downfall,” she swore, turning her back on him and approaching her crewmate. “We both know they can’t hold you. Wait for an opportunity.”

Kaliyo twitched her right eye—a sign that she understood before swearing vengeance on them all loudly. She stalked away with two armed guards right behind her.

“By special request of the Minister of Intelligence, you are being transferred to my brigade on the Corellian front lines,” the Kaleesh informed her smugly, grabbing her attention once more. “Together, we will drown the Republic in blood.”

“I’m afraid not,” a new voice stated, stepping out of the darkness. Alyssa almost smiled in relief when she saw those familiar golden eyes. “I will be taking her and the rest of her crew.”

“Wrath,” the lower Sith bowed in respect as Demetri stood beside her. “Orders were for her to be transferred to me.”

“Orders that I am overruling on behalf of the Emperor,” Demetri said dismissively, staring at the Kaleesh. “Afterall, we need the best on Corellia and Cipher Nine is the best resource Intelligence has to offer. Am I understood?”

“Yes, my lord.”

“Good,” he turned his gaze onto her. “Come to my estate and we will discuss more.”

“Yes, my lord,” she nodded, watching him leave with his back straight. Demetri Malfoy was a man with power. Power he knew how to wield properly.

* * *

 

**Songs: Mana by Joseh and Wide Awake by Katy Perry.**

**Comments and reviews would be great :D**


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